Fates and Bonds
by Legendary-Battousai
Summary: It has been three years since the defeat of Enishi Yukishiro and things have finally quieted down for Japan...but that's all about to change as a new threat is making it's presence known to the country. Who will save everyone this time...?


Japan has seen a lot of action over the years, but after the vanishing of the man known as Himura Kenshin, the war he was involved in slowly died down and his existance seemed to just vanish away into nothing. It had been 10 years until he suddenly reappeared in the city of Tokyo where a young woman named Kaoru Kamiya noticed him while trying to kill a man she thought was the legendary battousai of legend. The man was in fact Gohei Hiruma, someone who was once part of the dojo that Kaoru's father once ran. After being expelled for using the sword style known as Kamiya Kashin for hurting people, instead of helping like it was created to do, he felt that after the death of her father, he would go after Kaoru herself to get revenge for it. Kenshin had noticed the trouble that this woman was in and decided to help out. After getting to know her and the things she stood for, he knew that she had to be helped out and stayed with her after the man was taken down later on.

It was afterwards that things started to happen again. Many people entered the lives of Kenshin and Kaoru. The first was a young boy of ten years named Yahiko Myojin that was nothing but a selfless bandit working for the yakuza for a false reason. He was an orphan and was told he had to pay money for the medical bills that stacked up for his mother before she died, but the yakuza was just using him. All of this was settled when Kenshin Himura stepped in and took down the entire group in front of their boss. The young boy was then taken from his prison and given a nice home at the dojo with Kenshin and the woman he would consider his sensei, Kaoru.

The next person was Sanosuke Sagara, a former hitman that was hired by many to take down any target he was told to take care of. Kenshin Himura was one of them, and all because the man from before, Gohei Hiruma, wanted revenge for what happened before at the Kamiya Dojo. Of course, nothing could be done to take down Kenshin and the fighter-for-hire was taken down easily. He was shown the error of his ways and a new path opened that he was grateful for Kenshin revealing him to.

A few more things happened that involved Kaoru and Kenshin, but after it was done with, a new enemy appeared known as the Oniwabanshu. They were a group of ninja warriors that worked for an evil tycoon by the name of Kanryu Takada. The leader of the ninja's was named Aoshi Shimomori, a man that had a lot of reputation for being good at what he did. A woman was involved with them, and it was this same woman that Kenshin and his new friends saved from their clutches after she was forced to make opium illegally for their operations. After a lot had happened, the ninjas were all killed except the leader, whom wanted revenge for the deaths of his comrades, but the thing was Kenshin didn't do it, for it was done by the hands of Kanryu Takada and the new weapon he had introduced known as the gatling gun. He wanted to kill Kenshin because he wanted the reputation for the Oniwabanshu to remain as the best fighers from the revolution.

A few more friends had been found and joined to become part of the Kenshingumi...but before the continuation of the Rurouni Kenshin saga, the story must be told about the attempt at controlling Japan by the hands of a ruthless dictator known as Makoto Shishio. A lot had happened when this man tried to get his hands on the entire country for his own evil ambitions. Kenshin knew him quite well because after he had left as an assassin for the government to become a wanderer that would repent for all the deaths he committed, this man took his place, but it wasn't long after that he was set on fire for the things he had done. It was after this that the man survived, but had to go around wearing bandages all over his body. He was more angry than ever and used it to strengthen his sword and body so he could get revenge on the government that tried to kill him.

Hajime Saito, a man that once fought Kenshin back then, had come back to test his strength to see if he would be helpful in taking down Shishio once and for all. Soon after, Kenshin had to say goodbye to the woman that had grown fond of him over the time they had been together in the dojo. For a long time, they were apart until they reunited in Kyoto where Kenshin had met the man that taught him the art of swordsmanship when he was young. After learning a powerful technique that would take Shishio down for good, he set off on his journey again and did lots of planning to track him down.

He eventually found him after dueling with many warriors that was fighting for the evil dictator, and one of them was Aoshi Shinomori. Their battle was intense, but Kenshin came out the winner by using the sword technique, Amakekeru Ryu No Hirameki, which is a technique involving the user to run quickly towards the enemy, slam down onto their left foot, unsheathe their sword swiftly and quickly, then slash the enemy hard across the chest, depending on how you use it. Kenshin carries a reverse-blade sword which can't cut anyone, but can heavily damage whoever it's used upon. It was then that Aoshi saw the error of his way and decided to help out Himura Kenshin with his battle against Shishio.

The battle was quite intense right from the start. Right away, it looked as if Kenshin would be taken down once and for all by the hands of the man that wanted Japan all to himself...but with the help of his comrades, he prevailed and finally returned home where things would finally calm down.

After many more adventures and making new friends, an enemy from Kenshin's past came back to exact revenge for the death of his sister. Back during the days when Kenshin was an assassin, he was involved in a battle against a man that was using this woman to weaken his heart. Her name was Tomoe and she had grown close to Kenshin, even though it was her mission to get his defenses down. During the final battle against the man that had set this all up, she got in the way of Kenshin's attack so she could try to stop the battle, for she was scared of what might happen. Kenshin had gotten both of them with the swift stab of his sword, and he had to suffer with losing the woman he had fallen in love with. Hidden on the sidelines, Enishi Yukishiro, the brother of Tomoe, had seen it all and it was from that point, that he would plan on exacting revenge for what Kenshin had stolen from him.

Many traps and tricks were planned to try and do just that. One of them, which almost broke Kenshin and made him hopeless and close to commiting seppuku, was the fake death of Kaoru Kamiya. A doll had been made that looked exactly like her with a sword stabbed through her heart. After knowing that the woman he loved wasn't dead and that Enishi had taken her to his island headquarters, he made a plan that would lead him right to that destination so he could finally end the fight between him and Enishi.

The fight drew on for a long time, each showing off their skills to their fullest. Both were equally matched and it looked as if there would be no victor, but as always, Kenshin found the strength to win, and in this fight, it was the hopes that he would continue living to repent for all the wrongs he had done, especially against the woman he was wed to...the woman named Tomoe. It was with these convictions that he performed the ultimate attack against his opponent and ended it once and for all.

Three years have passed and things were going quite well in the country of Japan. Everyone was enjoying their lives in an era that would lead them into the future. But...like almost everything, nothing lasts forever. It is now the year 1883 and something is starting to happen in the shadows. It won't just involve the Kenshingumi...but the entire country would feel it's humongous clutches.

Prepare for the continuation of the Rurouni Kenshin saga...

It was a comfortable late summer evening in the city of Tokyo and things were as calm as can be. The fireflies were out near the sources of water and you could hear the saquedas all around. Not many people were out since it was about 8 at night, all except those that were stationed there to look out for any trouble that might threaten the livelihood of the citizens living within the area...but the environment would change that night and it all started with the signs of a storm in the distance, and a plot that would finally be put into action by an unknown group.

With a long sigh, the taller of the two policemen walking scratched the back of his head as he looked around the area with his partner, making sure that nothing bad was happening. "You know...I like my job and all, but lately, nothing has been happening that's worth keeping an eye out for. Everything has been quiet since all that business was settled with that Enishi fellow three years ago. I heard the battousai was his main target."

The smaller policeman nod his head towards him. "That's right. It was something that started way back during the fighting in Kyoto. Apparently, Enishi's sister had been killed by the battousai's hand alone and wanted deep revenge for it. It was a mistake, but he didn't want to just let it go."

"And there was that mess with Makoto Shishio..." The taller one continued the conversation. "Japan was almost doomed, but thanks to Kenshin Himura, everything returned to normal. We owe that man a lot for the things he's done." He smiled. "He's still living at the Kamiya Dojo, is that right?"  
"Yeah, that's what I hear...but Chief Miraki just informed him of something suspicious going on in Kyoto and the battousai left to head there. I sure hope nothing bad is starting up again. Japan has been through a lot these past few years."  
"That's for sure..." The other officer quietly spoke as he glanced up at the sky, noticing the darkening clouds heading towards Tokyo. "We should hurry up. A summer storm is coming and I'd hate to be stuck in it."  
"Heh, yeah." The taller officer laughed quietly. "We'll finish up the next road ahead, then we'll call it a night."

They reached a road that intersected with another that ran alongside the quiet river. The two of them turned left and started to head towards the bridge that connected the side they were on with the other. While approaching it, they were suddenly startled by a scream that came from the alleyways that were present all within the city and led through the many buildings and residences.

"Dammit! Seems we do have something happening tonight!" The taller one suddenly stopped and turned left into an alleyway, running as fast as he could while his partner was right behind him. They came to an intersection and tried to pinpoint where the scream could've come from. "Which way...?" He cursed under his breath.  
The shorter one caught up and looked the opposite way his partner was looking. "Should we split up?" He asked with concern.

"No...if this involves an enemy that is strong, then hitting us off one by one would be their idea of making it easy to win. If we stay together, then I know we'll have a better chance. We just need to pinpoint their location..."

A few seconds later, another scream could be heard and the two officers swiftly turned towards the direction it came from and started to run. They eventually came to another 4-way intersection in the alleyways and turned left. As they did so, they could see the body of someone lying on the ground, but they couldn't tell who it was since they were far away still.

"Stay here..." The taller one spoke quietly to the other officer, then quickly rushed forward to inspect the body, noticing that he was terribly injured. After looking the person over, his eyes widened and he suddenly stood up after having kneeled. "It can't be...! This person is...!"

Then, without warning, a kunai came down from the rooftop behind him and punctured the back of his head. Instantly, he fell against the wall and remained still while blood pooled out of the wound.

"Oh my god...!" The other officer froze and suddenly stumbled back after having witnessed the horrific moment. "I have to inform the chief!" He quickly stood up and skid on his foot to turn and run the way he came...but it was no use since his death came very quickly and in the same way. After being punctured,his body flew forward and slammed into the ground. Whatever had happened just moments ago was done by someone who wanted it to be top secret...and that person leaped down from the rooftop and slowly approached the smaller officer first to pull the kunai out of the back of his head. Blood sprayed out of the wound and it dripped from the tip of the kunai as the assassin brought it up to his lips and licked it slowly.

"Hmm...the taste of blood just isn't what it used to be." The person spoke coldly as he swiped the blood off of the kunai and placed it in his pouch attached to his waist. Whoever this person was, he could hardly be seen because of all the black assassin clothing he was wearing and the fact that he had a mask over his face to hide his identity from anyone. "It seems I have to dispose of these two. The orders will be coming soon to finish off my target and I want everything to go perfectly..."

Suddenly, thunder could be heard in the distance from the storm clouds that were approaching. The assassin slowly looked up at them, then sighed. "I have to work fast..."

Fates and Bonds

Season 1, Chapter-Dream or Reality: The Cogs of Fate Begin to Turn! (Rated 14-V)

Elsewhere in Tokyo, a sinister man stood atop a rooftop that looked out over the main part of the city, his eyes looking out from under the hood that concealed his head and face from view. The only thing that could be seen that he is wearing is a body long cloak that wavered in the light wind that was coming with the storm on the horizon. "What a perfect night for our plans to finally begin..." The man spoke with a low voice. "My lord will be happy to know that our target is half incapacitated and will finally met his end when our other assassin is sent to finish the job. This is happening just as we planned..." He grinned and laughed evilly. "Yes...he will finally be sent to his grave tonight."

A moment later, someone swiftly landed behind him and knelt down to treat him like the higher up he was. "Master Veonma, our lord wishes to continue with the plan like we talked about. He wants to see you in the woods right away."

The man known as Veonma slowly turned to look at him, his face continuing to be hidden. "Very well. I know we're close...and to think that this is the final stage before we begin our dominance over this pathetic country makes me so happy." He laughed again, then turned towards him. "You remain here and keep an eye out on our target. The other assassin will be coming eventually to finish the job."

"Yes, Master Veonma." He bowed his head again, then stood up and swiftly leapt the rooftops to reach the destination of the unconcious person.

The suspicious man slowly looked up at the darkening sky as he saw a flash of lightning. "A perfect setting for the beginning of the end for Japan... He then swiftly moved across the rooftops towards the end and leapt onto the ground below to start dashing towards the woods where he would meet up with his lord. So much was going through his mind as he ran, his eyes shining with anticipation to what was to come.

As he reached the darkness of the trees, he continued to run forward, knowing what his destination was in the black maze. It seemed he ran for a good minute or so before coming to a clearing that was almost lit by the fading moonlight hidden by the dark storm clouds above. He slowly turned to his right and approached some bushes, along with the trees that formed a circular form above them. He stopped before it, then knelt down on his right knee and rest his right arm on it. "M'lord...I bring great news."

The light from a cigarette could be seen, but that was it. The form of the one that Veonma called 'lord' wasn't seen at all, but you could tell just by standing there that the person was very strong. It was this man that had terrible plans for the country of Japan and only had one target that was a threat to his plans...and it was that very same target that was to be killed that very night. "Veonma, by the way you're speaking to me, it seems that the next step is ready to be put into action." It was a dark, gruff voice...and by the sound of it, it seemed like this man was very confident and was a veteran at the bad things that were about to go down.

"Yes..." He bowed his head again before him. "The assassin we had sent out to incapacitate the target completed his task, and now I've come to retrieve the one that will finish the job once and for all."

The man being addressed as lord took a hit of his cigarette, then laughed evily. "I can feel it, Veonma...the country is just like a person right in front of me, and my hands are grasped around it's throat. I've waited for this day a long time and knowing that my plans are so close to beginning...makes me want to go do away with that lowsome trash myself." He looked towards Veonma, but the man couldn't see him do so. "Then it is time. Thank you for coming to me." The lord then glanced straight ahead of him and yelled something out. "Now go! Kill him and make sure no one see's you!"

A man swiftly leapt out from behind some bushes, then nod his head towards the man's direction before turning and running towards the city of Tokyo where their target was.

Veonma remained kneeled where he was, a grin on his face as he kept his head down looking towards the ground. "Finally...he is finally about to die."

Kaoru yawned quietly as she stood in the kitchen of her dojo, cooking up the food that would be eaten for dinner that night. She hummed quietly to herself as she did so, knowing that it would be one of her better dishes. "Let's see...carrots are the next ingredient." She spoke softly as she went down the list she had listed down for herself. When she turned to get some from the cupboard, she realized she had none left, then sighed quietly. "Well...it seems I'll have to have someone go to the market and buy some for me." She gently closed the cupboard doors and started to walk out of the kitchen and towards the exit to the porch. As she turned the corner, she saw one of her visitors sitting right outside the door with her head raised up to the sky and her long braid wavering behind her. "Good evening, Miss Misao." She smiled as she walked up to her side.

The young woman turned her head to look up at her friend, then smiled. "Same to you, Miss Kaoru."

The dojo master bowed her head, then quietly took a seat beside her. Her face looked up towards the sky and she smiled again. "The stars look beautiful tonight...don't they?"

"They do..." Misao agreed with a light nod. "...but if you look out into the distance, you can see a storm is coming. Summer is coming to an end and these storms are coming around more often now. The last one was only a few days ago."

"Yeah, it was. There was a lot of rain that day." Kaoru placed her hands on her lap while letting her legs hang over the edge of the porch, then she looked over at Misao. "I have a favor to ask, Miss Misao."

"Hmm?" The young girl turned her head towards her. "What is it?" She calmly asked.

"Could you go to the market and buy some carrots? If you hurry, you'll make it back before the storm gets here."

"Of course." Misao smiled, then turned her head away slowly. "So...what are you planning to make with it?"

Kaoru's eyebrow snapped, then she kept her glaring eyes on her. "Just what are you getting at, Misao?"

She gasped slightly, then laughed and waved a hand at her, knowing that making fun of Kaoru's cooking would only provoke her and turn her into her worst enemy...that night. "Oh, nothing. I was just mumbling to myself."

Kaoru's eyebrow quirked again, then she sighed and looked back up at the sky. "Anyways...it's been quiet here without Kenshin. He should've been home by now from his mission to Kyoto."

"Has it already been a week?" Misao turned her head towards her.

"Yeah, it has." Kaoru looked at her as well, her eyes shining slightly. "I hope nothing has happened to him. Knowing how strong he is, I'm sure he can get out of anything...but he's only human like us."

"I'm sure Himura knew there was going to be a storm and just stayed at an inn or something." Misao smiled reassuringly. "He'll be back tomorrow, I'm sure."

Kaoru felt that her assumption seemed correct and nod her head with the same kind of smile. "You're right. Thanks for making me feel better, Misao."

The young ninja girl grinned, then looked down towards the ground as she swung her legs forward and backward over the side of the porch. The two of them remained silent for a good few moments before Misao sighed and remained still. "Miss Kaoru...I need to tell you something."

"Huh...?" Kaoru turned her head towards her, feeling as if it was really important. "What is it, Miss Misao?"

She closed her eyes as she tried to think of a way to start. A gentle breeze blew against them as the silence dragged on for about 15 seconds.

"I've been having this dream...for the past few nights." Misao slowly opened her eyes back up. "In the dream...I'm standing on the sideline of a major battle between Makoto Shishio and Himura."

Kaoru was intrigued by what she was being told. "That sounds interesting...but why does this dream make you sound so uneasy?"

Misao slowly straightened herself and stared up at the sky. "Himura...I mean, I think it's him...is standing there after defeating him with a cold look on his face. From where I'm standing, I can't see his eyes, nor can I see a ponytail in his hair...but he has the cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. The clothing he wears is the same kimono he's always worn and the sword in his left hand is the reverse-blade...but there was something about him that made me doubt it was really Himura."

Kaoru blinked slightly as she had finished describing it. "And you've had this dream the past three days...?"

Misao slowly nod her head. "I don't know why I'm having it...but tonight, I feel that it's just going to continue the same way." She then stood up and slapped her hands on her face before smiling down at Kaoru. "Anyways, I'll go get those carrots for you now, Miss Kaoru."

She smiled, then stood up and bowed to her. "It was nice talking to you...and also, there should be some money on my dresser in my room. You can take that."

Misao nod her head again, then held a hand up next to her. "I'll be back as soon as I can." She turned on her heel and rushed into Kaoru's room to grab the money she spoke of, then ran out and leaped off the porch towards the dojo doors on the other side of the yard.

"Hey, Kaoru!" Yahiko came walking out of the dojo, wanting to know where his instructor was.

"I'm right here." She quietly spoke as she walked down the porch to where he was standing in the dojo entrance.

He turned towards her, then grinned. "I think I nailed that technique you showed me earlier. When you're done cooking dinner, I'd like you to spar with me."

Kaoru grinned back. "You'll be sorry, Yahiko. I hope you speak the truth."

"Heh!" He held an arm out next to him and flexed it a little. "You betcha!"

Another person came walking down from the other side of the porch with his hands inside his pockets and a fishbone, as usual, in his mouth. "So, the squirt is still working on besting the instructor, huh?"

Yahiko swiftly turned to face him. "What are you talking about, Sanosuke? I already HAVE surpassed her! You weren't there, but I fought against that Juppongatana freak, Hennya, and kicked the crap out of him! I performed a skill that I found within myself by watching Kenshin's battles! It couldn't have gone ANY better!" He grinned and flexed slightly.

Kaoru sighed, then suddenly grabbed his ear and started to pull him into the dojo training hall. "Come on...I think it's time to bash all of that extra ego out of your system."

"Hey...ow, ow, ow!" Yahiko yelled in pain as he was dragged. "Kaoru, come on...! You know I was only half kidding...!"

Sanosuke laughed under his breath before turning towards the yard and noticing the approaching storm clouds. "I don't like the looks of that..." He spoke quietly as he noticed a flash of lightning.

The assassin that was ordered to finish off the target that his group was keeping an eye on dashed his way through the streets of Tokyo upon arriving, eventually reaching an entrance into an alleyway so he could reach the location of his kill.

About 100 feet away, the one that was being hunted struggled to stay standing from the wounds he already had, blood dripping from the yukata he wore. He coughed up some blood and slowly raised his head as he continued to walk, wanting to find help as quickly as he could. He was unaware that his death was coming at him very quickly.

Within moments, the assassin leaped up onto the rooftop and quietly scanned around really quick to try and pinpoint where he was. As he spotted him down below, he laughed and quickly leaped down to the alleyway he was in and took out a few kunai from his outfit. "Where are you going...?"

The man gasped and suddenly turned around to see a different assassin that wanted him to dead. "Oh no...!" He spoke mentally, his body starting to shake in fear as he turned to try and get away.

"Don't even bother..." The assassin spoke coldly as he started to walk towards him slowly. "With your injuries, you don't have a chance of escape..."

Tears of fright started to fall from his face as he felt his life was about to end that night. "Someone...help me..."

Misao was quickly making her way down the street and towards the market where she would purchase the carrots for Kaoru. "I better hurry. The smell of rain is getting heavier in the air..." She spoke quietly aloud, knowing that it would be miserable being stuck in a heavy downpour.

The young ninja turned the corner at the intersection near the river and made her way down what was the main stretch of Tokyo. She rushed past a few places, one of them being the Akabeko, and walked through an open door that was her destination.

Upon walking in, she was greeted by the saleman. "Good evening, miss. Do you know what you would like today?"

Misao glanced at the options laying out for those that needed them, then turned to him with a smile. "Just some carrots, is all." She went to get a basket of them that was sitting on a high shelf, then went over to pay for them.

"Alright then." The elderly man picked the basket up, then slid the carrots into a paper bag he got from the side of the counter. He then handed it to Misao with a smile. "That'll be 10 yen, please."

Misao dug into her uniform pocket and handed the exact amount to him with the same kind of smile. "Thank you!" She then grabbed the bag and held it to her chest as she ran out. Upon stepping outside, she gasped at the loud clap of thunder that was heard in the sky above. She turned to notice that the storm clouds had approached rather quickly. "I have to hurry..." She turned once again and started to dash down the street back to the dojo.

The young man being chased was starting to become dizzy from the blood he had lost, knowing that it was probably pointless to continue running from an inevitable death.

Noticing that his target was getting to the point of exhaustion, he grinned and raised a kunai up towards his face, which was in between his finger. "Three kunais...and you'll be dead." With a swift motion of his hand, the first one flew forward and stabbed itself into his back.

This caused the man to scream in pain and fall forward on his knees, his breathing becoming heavy.

The assassin grinned even more and made another one stab him in the back again, but on the opposite end the other one was.

He let out another piercing scream, then fell forward onto his front and felt the breath starting to escape him. "I'm going to die..." He whispered to himself as his eyes started to close.

Misao suddenly stopped and froze when she heard the scream of someone in danger. "It's close..." She whispered as she quickly moved left into an alleyway, using her right arm to hold the bag of carrots and the left to reach for kunai in her uniform.

"And now..." The assassin took a few steps forward, the kunai being held over his head so he could deliver the final blow. But...he flinched when he was about to do it, because he could pick up the sounds of footsteps coming closer from around the corner. "Dammit...!" He cursed to himself. "It looks like you live...for now..." He glared down at him before swiftly leaping up and away from the scene.

Misao came to the 4-way intersection and looked each way before her eyes came across the body laying on the ground to her right. She gasped and quickly rushed over to inspect him. "Oh no...mister, are you concious?" Misao put her kunai away and slowly started to sit the man up, being careful with the kunai in his back...but when she did, her eyes widened and she became still when she saw that it was someone she knew very well. It was the man that had changed Japan...the man that she had met in the woods a few years back...the man that her Lord Aoshi had fought back when Shishio was the enemy...

...she was in the presence of Kenshin Himura.

A flash of lightning illuminated the entire city at that moment and Misao screamed, both because of that and the fact that a great man was lying in her arms, close to death...


End file.
